DISCO DUCK (2009 TECHNO TOM MIX REMIX) - RICK DEES

Rick Dees was an American radio DJ who struck the big time by creating a dance novelty song in the middle of the disco boom of the late 1970s. "Disco Duck" was originally marketed on a 7" vinyl single with Part-1 (vocal mix) on side A, and Part-2 (instrumental mix) on side B. There was a also a promotional 6 minute 12" disco remix of the record issued to some of the big clubs and discos in America to help fast track this song to the top of the charts. The 12" mix was not issued in Oz and not readily available outside the metropolitan areas, as most of the 12" records sold were import copies.

The song "Disco Duck" is still fondly remembered by us oldies but in today's modern era the weak disco beat of this track means it hardly gets played because today's kids, more or less, enjoy a more techno sound...

Here for the first time is a DJ Tom Mix remake which takes some of the old "Disco Duck" charm and mixes it with the new techno beats...

If you like this kind of "old meets new" concept then on my other blog is a remix of Marty Rhone's hit "A Mean Pair Of Jeans"...(click link)

http://tommixmusic.blogspot.com/2008/03/download-no2.html

Here for download is a 6 minute 2009 Techno Tom Mix of "Disco Duck":

http://rapidshare.com/files/273790329/rick_dees_-_disco_duck__ext_tom_mix_2009_.mp3

RADIO (12") - THE MEMBERS

Martin Rushent was a supremo UK record producer whose bands included ABC and The Human League. One of his more interesting collaborations got the UK pop group The Members their biggest hit in Oz. Martin Rushent is famous for layering and adding numerous types of echoes over the original work and his mix of this song goes to the fullest extreme. The single version of "Radio" hit the charts and clubs in 1982 and stayed around for most of the year. The extended 12" mix named "Radio - Dub Version" ran about 5 minutes...it contained very few vocal lines. The flipside of the 12" had the regular 3 minute single version which contained all the vocals.

Musos in the band included:

Nicky Tesco
Gary Baker
Jean Marie Carrol
Steve Morley
Clive Parker
Nigel Bennett
Chris Payne
Adrian Lillywhite
Rudi Thompson
Simon Lloyd

The Members had a couple of lesser known singles:
1 "The Sound Of The Suburbs"
2 "Offshore Banking Business"
3 "Romance"

4 "Killing Time"

5 "Flying Again"

6 "Going West"

By 1982 they had switched labels to Island Records and this is where their major hit was recorded. After leaving Virgin in 1981, they broadened their sound by introducing a full-time horn section, Steve 'Rudi' Thompson (ex-X Ray Spex) and Simon Lloyd (Bananarama and Icehouse) and embracing funk and rap as well as reggae. The one-off single, Radio, was released on Island and became a hit in Oz.

The band then enjoyed an American hit by reaching out to the burgeoning MTV generation with "Working Girl".

For download is the Dub Version of "Radio" mixed with the Vocal Version. It runs about 6 mins total. This is an exclusive remix made by Tom Mix Studios. Enjoy!

http://rapidshare.com/files/272658421/the_members_-_radio__dub_and_single_vinyl_tom_mix_.mp3

WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES (12") - DOOBIE BROS

The Doobie Bros were not brothers by kin or blood. The group were named after a type of "herbal" cigarette.

They kicked off their career with the hit "Listen To The Music" back in 1972 and were still churning out hits in the 1980s. Their line-up changed, their style evolved but most of all they became a dance mix sensation when many of their old hits were given re-makes and do-overs. "Long Train Running" the club remix outsold its original single mix. "Listen To The Music" was also given new life in the clubs of the 1990s.

During 1978, in their second incarnation the Doobie's lead singer had become Michael McDonlad whose smooth delivery and high voice gave them a new edge. This was also the era of the extended version or club mix....hence the extended version of "What A Fool Believes" which has only ever been released on vinyl. The song was written by Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. The remix label shows that an additional percussion track was added and the artist has been credited...otherwise it sounds much like the single version.

http://rapidshare.com/files/272521416/doobie_brothers_-_what_a_fool_believes__s_w_ext_vinyl_tom_mix_-cr.mp3

MA'M THIBAULT (DISCO VERSION) - TRANQUILLE

"Ma'm Thibault" by Tranquille was a great instrumental disco track from 1977. It made an appearance here in Oz on the Miracle label once owned by Robbie Porter. The long version was about 6:50 mins and the single was 3:00 mins. The song was a big club hit and I doubt if people knew exactly what they were dancing to as it only had a few words and they were in French.

The original non-disco version of "Ma'm Thibault" (Mrs Thibault) was by Canadian TV puppet Mr. Calm (Monsieur Tranquille) but a local Canadian producer thought the track was strong enough to stand alone as a disco instrumental which had the occasional shout of "Ma'm Thibault" sung by an exasperated Mr. Calm (Monsieur Tranquille). To distance themselves from the TV show the song's producer listed the artist of the disco mix as Tranquille. The show which featured Monsieur Tranquille and Madame Thibault was the Canadian equivalent of The Muppets (sort of)! Here in Australia the single mix was also placed on Disco Fever the double K-Tel dance album.

This song is like the classic "Mah-na Mah-na" song written by Piero Umiliani - a hit for The Muppets. If you like The Muppets then see the next post below re Jim Henson.

Enjoy an extended disco classic "Ma'm Thibault":

http://rapidshare.com/files/270835394/tranquille_-_ma_m_thibault__ext_vinyl_tom_mix_.mp3

RUBBER DUCKIE (12") - ERNIE

James Maury "Jim" Henson, was one of the most widely known puppeteers in American television history. He was the creator of The Muppets, Fraggle Rock, and the leading force behind their long run in the television series Sesame Street and The Muppet Show and films such as The Muppet Movie and The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.

Jim popularized rubber ducks in 1970, performing “Rubber Duckie” which was sung by Jim’s character Ernie on Sesame Street. This track was actually the throw-away b-side and the theme to Sesame Street by The Kids was the a-side. The song is named after Ernie's toy, a rubber duck affectionately named Rubber Duckie....The song had two follow-ups, "Do De Rubber Duck" and "D.U.C.K.I.E," and Ernie frequently spoke to his duck and carried it with him in other segments of the show. On a special occasion, Little Richard would perform the song with Ernie.

Little known facts about “Rubber Duckie”:

The ‘famous’ rubber-duck-squeaking solo in the original version of the is squeaked by the song’s creator, Jeff Moss.

The toy rubber duck is considered a percussion instrument by the Boston Pops Orchestra who have played this song on occasion - they only allow the percussionists to play them.

There are several versions of this song, including a cover by Little Richard and a five-version CD in German, containing a “dance remix”.

“Rubber Duckie” is a bona-fide hit. In 1970 it made the Top 40 charts and stayed on for 7 weeks, peaking at number 1 in some parts of Australia! Nationally it ranked at #10.

Ernie's Duck's birthday is on January 13th.

Joe Raposo who worked with Henson and The Sesame Street Kids was responsible for the song "Sing...Sing A Song" which was a hit for The Carpenters around 1973.

Here for download is the original mono vinyl single of “Rubber Duckie” but extended to 3:00 mins by Tom Mix. For those lucky enough to find this track on CD you'll notice the stereo orchestration is slightly buried under the vocals unlike than the original mono single.

http://rapidshare.com/files/269952297/ernie_-_rubber_duckie__extended_tom_mix_.mp3

I WON'T LAST A DAY WITHOUT YOU - MAUREEN MCGOVERN

"I Won't Last a Day Without You" is a song composed by Americans Paul Williams and Roger Nichols.

Paul Williams released his version as a single in 1973, but garnered only minor success in America. Maureen McGovern recorded the song and also released it as a single in 1973 (on her album The Morning After), with results similar to those of Williams. Eventually it became a hit single for The Carpenters in 1974.

Here in Oz in some places Maureen's version sold better than in the USA and in fact The Carpenter's version didn't do as well.

Maureen's version has made it to CD but sadly the version on CD is a new remix and the percussion has been more emphasized than on the original vinyl single.

Here for download is the original single mix from vinyl in glorious mono of Maureen McGovern's "I Won't Last a Day Without You":

http://rapidshare.com/files/269797925/maureen_mcgovern_-_i_won_t_last_a_day_without_you__vinyl_tom_mix_.mp3

AUSTRALIA - GOOD NEWS

THIS VILLAGE PEOPLE SOUND-A-LIKE 12" DANCE HIT "AUSTRALIA" BY THE STUDIO GROUP "GOOD NEWS" WAS ON R.C.A. RECORDS. IT WAS A MASSIVE PUB AND CLUB HIT WHICH HAD AIRPLAY 1979-1980. THE SONG CHARTED AT VARIOUS STAGES IN DIFFERENT STATES. IT WAS WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY A EUROPEAN TEAM WHOSE CREDITS INCLUDE "HANDS UP" BY OTTAWAN (A FRENCH GROUP), "DISCO BOUZOUKI" BY THE GREAT DISCO BOUZOUKI BAND (A GREEK GROUP) AND OTHER DISCO HITS OF THE 1980S.

THE EXTENDED 12" VERSION OF THIS SONG HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED TO C.D. BUT THE COMMERCIAL SINGLE HAS NOT.

BELOW IS THE TOM MIX VINYL EDIT:

http://rapidshare.com/files/149224109/GOOD_NEWS_-_AUSTRALIA__VINYL_TOM_MIX_EDIT_.mp3

KLF MEGAMIX (TOM MIX) - KLF

The Kopyright Liberation Front had a big string of hits that used sampling from other songs and they worked on creating their own band persona based on an ancient mythological race called The Mu-Mu who "supposedly" sailed from one side of the world to conquer America...

At one stage The KLF roped-in Tammy Wynette to do guest vocals and the resultant track "Justified And Ancient" was their biggest hit.

I have over the years collected all their work on CD and vinyl and have made 2 megamixes of their greatest hits. One is short and the other is slightly longer and concludes with the alter-ego hit Doctorin' The Tardis which they released under the name of The Time Lords.

Longest KLF megamix:

http://rapidshare.com/files/161904302/KLF_-_k_l_f_megamix__doctored_by_tom_mix_.mp3

Shortest KLF megamix:

http://rapidshare.com/files/158651391/KLF_-_k_l_f_megamedley__extended_tom_mix_2008_.mp3

HURRICANE (PART 1) - BOB DYLAN

In 1975 Bob Dylan had a hit on his hands with "Hurricane" a mournful song about a boxer wrongly accused of killing a man...a cheery topic, eh?

It was a song which ran over 7 minutes but the radio edit was only 3:45 mins. The single edit has appeared on a commercial CD just once long ago.

The version used for this download is from the vinyl version released on the CBS Hall Of Fame series...the record is from America hence the large hole in the centre (see picture).

Here is the single edit of "Hurricane":

http://rapidshare.com/files/267798794/Bob_Dylan_-_Hurricane__Part_1_.mp3

WITCH DOCTOR - JOHNNY 'SCAT' BROWN

Lee Gordon was an entrepreneur and recording artist who left America to set up shop in Oz. Johnny O’Keefe was one of his major acts. Lee set up an Oz record company called Leedon.

Amongst Leedon’s early releases were a couple of foreign singles credited to the mysterious Johnny 'Scat' Brown: "Indeed I Do" and "Mama Rock". The flip sides of both records were performed by totally different artists despite the fact the b-side of "Indeed I Do" also listed Johnny 'Scat' Brown as the singer. The performer of "Little Star", the flip of "Mama Rock" was shown as Moon Rockets, another mystery act.

"Indeed I Do" and "Mama Rock" had been recorded in the USA, featuring vocals performed by an Elvis Presley sound-alike singer, Johnny Powers. The singer's identity was unknown to Leedon staff at the time, as the tapes had been sent to them from the USA by Lee Gordon without any recording details. As a result, company manager Alan Heffernan created the pseudonym Johnny 'Scat' Brown.

These singles had been preceded by another Leedon single also billed to Johnny 'Scat' Brown which featured cover versions of current American chart hits, Sheb Wooley's "Purple People Eater" and David Seville's "Witch Doctor". However, after listening to the tracks it is evident this first Johnny 'Scat' Brown single release is a completely different artist as he has a slight lisp in places.

Some of these singles were released locally in the face of 'embargo' restrictions placed on them by publishing companies such as Chappell Music. In the picture you’ll note there is a duty stamp from this publishing company attached to the label.

According to former Leedon employee Max Moore, Heffernan's cousin discovered decades later (the 1970s), that although there was a real Johnny 'Scat' Brown performing in the USA, the person who had recorded "Indeed I Do" and "Mama Rock" was indeed noted rockabilly artist Johnny Powers. Johnny's CD of greatest hits is still available in America as I write, which includes the aforesaid singles.

A decent copy of the vinyl 45 rpm of "Witch Doctor" currently sells for about $40A. Here for free is a download of "Witch Doctor" and "Purple People Eater" by the anonymous singer working under the name of Johnny 'Scat' Brown:

"Witch Doctor"

http://rapidshare.com/files/267621997/johnny__scat__brown_-_witch_doctor__vinyl_tom_mix_.mp3

"Purple People Eater"

http://rapidshare.com/files/267627571/johnny__scat__brown_-_purple_people_eater__vinyl_tom_mix_.mp3

Dedication:
Mike, one of our long term family friends died suddenly today 15-8-2009 aged 53 leaving his wife to cope with not only his loss but the loss of her own father 3 days before. It is with reverence I leave this message of love and support for Rose M. our dear friend and her 2 sons - Tom & Liz.

IF YOU CAN PUT THAT IN A BOTTLE (12") - JOHN DAVIDSON

John Davidson (born 13-12-1941) was an American singer and actor. John worked firstly on the Broadway stage. He was cast in many big shows in the 1960s working alongside many American superstars. John was also a TV game show host....the most widely known show he worked on was Hollywood Squares which in Oz was re-badged and called Celebrity Squares.
In 1967 John Davidson had a minor Oz hit with his version of "If You Can Put That In A Bottle" released on CBS records. Australian, Peter Doyle also had a competing version on Astor Records which did not chart - I am still hoping to find a copy of Peter's version.
Here for download is an extended Tom Mix version of "If You Can Put That In A Bottle":
http://rapidshare.com/files/266536935/john_davidson_-_if_you_can_put_that_in_a_bottle__vinyl_ext_tom_mix_.mp3


The link above may be out of action but my extended 12" remix has been added to a video file on YouTube by an enterprising person that gave me no credit!

A CHA CHA AT THE OPERA (DISCO CONCERTO) - A CHA CHA AT THE OPERA

Zues B. Held (born Bernd Held in Freiburg Germany 24th August 1950) was the producer and inspiration behind the UK Liverpool based group known as Dead Or Alive. Their greatest hit was "You Spin Me Right Round (Like A Record)" which still sells well all around the world and has numerous remixes floating in the disco stratosphere.

Zues B. Held also cut some interesting club mixes, one of them, "A Cha Cha At The Opera (Disco Concerto)" came out in 1982 on Island records, it didn't sell all that well in the USA but did OK in Europe and did well in the Oz club charts.

It followed the work pioneered by Malcolm MacLaren who put opera to a dance beat. It has a hook laden riff which would have been perfect for a Dead Or Alive song.

For download is the 12" mix:

http://rapidshare.com/files/265442250/a_cha_cha_at_the_opera_-_a_cha_cha_at_the_opera__ext_vinyl_tom_mix_.mp3

TOM MIX ELO MEGAMIX - ELO

The supergroup ELO fronted by Jeff Lynne had more than 20 hit singles and they are probably enjoying a great lifestyle from sales and royalties...

Some of their rare singles and b-sides include the "ELO Megamix" which was done in 1986 by Paul Dakeyne of DMC (Disco Mix Club) it was issued on the flipside of "Getting To The Point" - one of their lesser known songs. Paul's original ran about 9 mins and although mostly good it had some moments where the songs didn't join very well.

Out there in cyberspace some kind folks have already put the original "ELO Megamix" on blogs for download but to date I have never found one which sounds good or is in a 320kb format. Never one to rest, I recently set to work and made my own version but have used CD song masters to keep the fidelity high. It starts like the old Dakeyne version but adds more songs to the mix than his original and is only 8 mins long. It sounds great and the download is set at 320kb.

I have used a zip file with password: http://tommixmusic2.blogspot.com/

The Tom Mix "ELO Megamix" includes the following songs:

Don't Bring Me Down
Sweet Talking Woman
Livin' Thing
I'm Alive
Xanadu
Shine A Little Love
Turn To Stone
Hold On Tight
Rock'n'Roll Is King

http://rapidshare.com/files/265323737/TOM_MIX_ELO_MEGA.zip

IT'S IT'S...THE SWEET MIX - THE SWEET

The UK group The Sweet had a big connection to Oz as all their early hits were co-written by an Ozzie, Mike Chapman. Partners Nicki Chinn and Mike Chapman wrote songs for Suzi Quatro, Mud, Smokie, Blondie, Starship, Exile and many other big groups.

Mike's first hit that he wrote was Soft Delights in 1970 which was sent into the top 20 by local Oz group The New Dream in 1971. Mike had originally released the song with his own fledgling UK based group called Tangerine Peel. Just as Soft Delights was charting another Mike Chapman song hit our top 40 airwaves, a similar sounding bubblegum track called Funny Funny by The Sweet.

In 1983, Sanny-X a European club DJ from the remix organisation called The Disco Mix Club (DMC), made an outstanding Sweet Megamix. In 1984 it was a top 20 hit in many countries and got to position #83 in the end of year Australian top 100 chart. The 7" was released locally on RCA and ran about 3:30 mins. The single as shown in the accompanying picture contained only 3 songs: Blockbuster, Teenage Rampage and Hell Raiser.

The extended 12" was another issue altogether! There are at least 3 known versions of the 12" mix. One is over 8 mins, one is 6 mins (called The Blitz Buster Remix) and one is just under 5 mins. They all consist of the same songs but have been overdubbed and edited in different ways. I recently asked Sanny why this happened and he said that songs once sent to DMC can be further edited by staff DJs who make regional or market variances.

Since The Sweet Megamix has not been on a commercial CD anywhere in the world I made my own new 12" using the old vinyl mix as a guide. All the basic song tracks have been lifted from CD so the quality is really great.

The file is in a zip. There is a password: http://tommixmusic2.blogspot.com/

Songs include:

Blockbuster
Teenage Rampage
Hell Raiser
Ballroom Blitz
Fox On The Run

http://rapidshare.com/files/265079964/tom_mix_sweets.zip

LOCOMOTION - RITZ

Back in the 1960s Little Eva had the original “Locomotion” but in Oz it wasn't until the end of the 1970s that it was a hit again for a foreign band. French group Ritz released “Locomotion” in late 1979 on the CBS Epic label. Their version peaked at #12 on the Australian charts in early 1980, and spent a total of thirty weeks inside the top 100.

“Locomotion” didn’t make any kind of impact in the U.S. nor England. It was a minor hit in the group’s native France but a #1 in New Zealand, in mid 1980.

There was a 12” and a 7” mix of the song. For this download I have engineered the start of the 12” onto the 7” single mix. The 12” version had a puffing steam train that was left off the single.

For download is the single mix of "Locomotion" with bonus beginning:

http://rapidshare.com/files/262760092/ritz_-_locomotion__single_edit_tom_mix_.mp3